64 Facts About Juan Ponce Enrile

Juan Ponce Enrile has served four terms in the Senate, in a total of twenty-three years, he holds the third longest-tenure in the history of the upper chamber.

Juan Ponce Enrile was a protege of President Ferdinand Marcos who served as Justice Secretary and Defense Minister during the Marcos administration.

Juan Ponce Enrile played a key role in the planning and documentary legwork for Martial Law, and was in charge of the Philippine Military during its implementation.

Juan Ponce Enrile has continued to be a politician since 1986; he was the Senate President from November 2008 until his resignation on June 5,2013.

Juan Ponce Enrile remained a Senator until 2016, latterly as Minority Leader.

Juan Ponce Enrile was born on February 14,1924 in Gonzaga, Cagayan, to Petra Furagganan, the stepdaughter of a poor fisherman.

Juan Ponce Enrile was baptized into the Philippine Independent Church as Juanito Furagganan.

Juan Ponce Enrile converted to Roman Catholicism at age 20.

Juan Ponce Enrile's father took legal steps in changing his name to Juan Ponce Enrile, the name that he would use for his pre-law enrollment.

Juan Ponce Enrile taught law at the Far Eastern University and practiced law in his father's law firm before taking responsibility for then-Senator Ferdinand Marcos' personal legal affairs in 1964, especially during the latter's term as Senate President.

Juan Ponce Enrile concurrently became acting Insurance Commissioner and Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs.

Juan Ponce Enrile was re-appointed Defense Secretary by Marcos on January 4,1972.

Juan Ponce Enrile narrates that as early as December 1969, Marcos instructed him to study the 1935 Constitution, specifically the powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief.

Juan Ponce Enrile cited the alleged ambush attack on Enrile's white Mercedes-Benz sedan on September 22,1972, as a pretext for martial law.

Marcos, in his diary entry for September 1972, wrote that Juan Ponce Enrile had been ambushed near Wack-Wack that night.

The doubts surrounding the alleged ambush were further confirmed in a press conference on February 23,1986, when then Lieutenant General Fidel Ramos and Juan Ponce Enrile admitted that the attack was staged to justify the declaration of martial law.

Furthermore, in several interviews, Juan Ponce Enrile was reported as indeed confirming that the attempted assassination was faked to justify the declaration of Martial Law.

In 1973, under the new modified parliamentary system then in place under the country's new constitution under Martial Law, Juan Ponce Enrile's title became Defense Minister.

Juan Ponce Enrile focused his efforts on a broad review of defense policies and on dealing with pressing social unrest.

Juan Ponce Enrile was tasked by Marcos to give certificates to logging companies, which eventually led to one of Asia's most devastating environmental disasters.

Juan Ponce Enrile owned numerous logging companies such as Ameco in Bukidnon, Dolores Timber in Samar, San Jose Timber in Northern Samar, Kasilagan Softwood Development Corp in Butuan, Eurasia Match in Cebu, Pan Oriental which operates in Cebu and Butuan, Palawan-Apitong Corp in Palawan, and Royal Match.

Juan Ponce Enrile invested heavily in a rubber plantation in Basilan.

Juan Ponce Enrile clipped the powers of the Minister of National Defense and the Chief of Staff over the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Juan Ponce Enrile began aligning himself with dissident elements in the army, particularly the Reform the Armed Forces Movement - which was then headed by his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Colonel Gregorio Honasan.

At two PM on February 22,1986, Juan Ponce Enrile asked for the support of then Lieutenant General Fidel Ramos, the head of the Philippine Constabulary and concurrent vice-chief of staff of the armed forces, who agreed to join Juan Ponce Enrile.

Juan Ponce Enrile wanted Corazon Aquino to hold her inauguration as new president in Camp Crame, but Aquino refused, emphasizing that the People Power Revolution was a civilian victory by the Filipino people, not by a rebel military faction.

Juan Ponce Enrile held her inauguration on February 25,1986, at the nearby Club Filipino instead, with Enrile and Ramos invited only as guests.

Juan Ponce Enrile publicly took up an anticommunist persona, organizing rallies to publicly decry Aquino's ceasefires and peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Juan Ponce Enrile was then implicated in the "God Save the Queen" plot that was to supposedly take place on November 11,1986.

In May 1987, Juan Ponce Enrile won a seat in the 1987 election as one of two opposition members in the country's 24-member Senate, finishing 24th.

Juan Ponce Enrile formally assumed office on August 15,1987.

Juan Ponce Enrile was detained in Camp Aguinaldo over suspicion of planning the coup with Lt.

Juan Ponce Enrile later stated numerous recalls about the martial law era, of which all were flip-flops from his previous statements during his term as secretary of defense and during the ouster of Marcos.

Juan Ponce Enrile was dubbed by then-President Corazon Aquino as "Pambansang Balimbing" for his contradicting statements and "Dakilang Miron" for his inconvenient bystander and opportunistic attitude.

In 1992, before his term in the Senate had ended, Juan Ponce Enrile predicted that he might lose the senatorial election or win, but only serve three years in office.

Juan Ponce Enrile ran instead for the House of Representatives of the Philippines.

Juan Ponce Enrile was elected and represented the First District of Cagayan.

Juan Ponce Enrile won as a senator and held the position until 2001.

Juan Ponce Enrile ran for reelection as part of the Puwersa ng Masa coalition.

Juan Ponce Enrile actively opposed the imposition of the Purchased Power Adjustment on consumers' electric bills.

Juan Ponce Enrile thus became a senator in three non-consecutive terms.

Juan Ponce Enrile was re-elected as a senator in the 2010 elections.

Juan Ponce Enrile was affiliated with the opposition Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino but officially stood as an independent and was part of the administration bloc.

On November 17,2008, Senate President Manuel Villar resigned due to a lack of support, and Juan Ponce Enrile succeeded him the same day.

Juan Ponce Enrile was nominated by Panfilo Lacson; 14 senators supported the nomination and five abstained.

Juan Ponce Enrile was re-elected to a fourth term in the 2010 Senate election.

In early 2012, Juan Ponce Enrile was the presiding officer of the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Juan Ponce Enrile was one of the 20 Senators who voted guilty for the impeachment.

Juan Ponce Enrile alleged that Enrile was being pushed by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to pass a bill splitting the province of Camarines Sur into two but Enrile denied the allegation.

In late 2012, Juan Ponce Enrile started a feud with Miriam Defensor Santiago when Santiago authored the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 with Pia Cayetano, which he opposed.

In January 2013, Santiago alleged that Juan Ponce Enrile gave PHP1.6 million each to his fellow Senators, except for her, Pia Cayetano, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Trillanes, who was reported to have been only given PHP250 thousand each.

Juan Ponce Enrile admitted giving the said amount to the senators, saying that it was part of the balance of the maintenance and other operating expenses funds allowed per senator.

Amid accusations against him, including the alleged distribution of MOOE funds to senators, Juan Ponce Enrile stepped down as Senate President after his privilege speech on June 5,2013.

Juan Ponce Enrile quietly bowed out of politics after his term in the Senate ended in 2016, but tried to make a comeback in 2019.

Juan Ponce Enrile placed 22nd in a field of 62 candidates.

In January 2013, while sitting as the Senate President, Juan Ponce Enrile was accused of using Senate funds called MOOE as Christmas gifts to members of the Senate who do not oppose him.

In September 2013, Juan Ponce Enrile was again involved in misappropriated funds, this time about the PDAF or what is commonly called the pork barrel fund.

Juan Ponce Enrile was detained on July 3,2014 and suspended from his Senate post on September 1,2014, for these charges, after his motions to post bail to lift the suspension order were denied.

Juan Ponce Enrile, or "Manong Johnny" as he is often called, is married to Cristina Castaner was born on in 1937 and who has served as the Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See.

Juan Ponce Enrile has a half-sister, Armida Siguion-Reyna, who was a singer as well as a theatre and film actress.

Juan Ponce Enrile's rumored affair with his former long-time employee and chief of staff Jessica Lucila "Gigi" Reyes, 38 years his junior, came out after reports that Juan Ponce Enrile's wife, Cristina, walked out on him in January 1998 after charging him with adultery.

Gigi Reyes was regarded as "the door, if not the bridge" to Juan Ponce Enrile, referring to the extent of closeness between the two.

Juan Ponce Enrile insisted the resignation was because of rumors of their illicit relationship.

Juan Ponce Enrile paid for the legal services of the soldiers during their trial and said the soldiers and their families had suffered enough.